Emma eBook

“Oh! no, the meeting is certainly to-day,”
was the abrupt answer, which denoted the impossibility
of any blunder on Mrs. Elton’s side.—­
“I do believe,” she continued, “this
is the most troublesome parish that ever was.
We never heard of such things at Maple Grove.”

“Your parish there was small,” said Jane.

“Upon my word, my dear, I do not know, for I
never heard the subject talked of.”

“But it is proved by the smallness of the school,
which I have heard you speak of, as under the patronage
of your sister and Mrs. Bragge; the only school, and
not more than five-and-twenty children.”

“Ah! you clever creature, that’s very
true. What a thinking brain you have!
I say, Jane, what a perfect character you and I should
make, if we could be shaken together. My liveliness
and your solidity would produce perfection.—­Not
that I presume to insinuate, however, that some
people may not think you perfection already.—­But
hush!—­ not a word, if you please.”

It seemed an unnecessary caution; Jane was wanting
to give her words, not to Mrs. Elton, but to Miss
Woodhouse, as the latter plainly saw. The wish
of distinguishing her, as far as civility permitted,
was very evident, though it could not often proceed
beyond a look.

Mr. Elton made his appearance. His lady greeted
him with some of her sparkling vivacity.

“Very pretty, sir, upon my word; to send me
on here, to be an encumbrance to my friends, so long
before you vouchsafe to come!—­ But you
knew what a dutiful creature you had to deal with.
You knew I should not stir till my lord and master
appeared.—­ Here have I been sitting this
hour, giving these young ladies a sample of true conjugal
obedience—­for who can say, you know, how
soon it may be wanted?”

Mr. Elton was so hot and tired, that all this wit
seemed thrown away. His civilities to the other
ladies must be paid; but his subsequent object was
to lament over himself for the heat he was suffering,
and the walk he had had for nothing.

“When I got to Donwell,” said he, “Knightley
could not be found. Very odd! very unaccountable!
after the note I sent him this morning, and the message
he returned, that he should certainly be at home till
one.”

“Donwell!” cried his wife.—­“My
dear Mr. E., you have not been to Donwell!—­You
mean the Crown; you come from the meeting at the Crown.”

“No, no, that’s to-morrow; and I particularly
wanted to see Knightley to-day on that very account.—­Such
a dreadful broiling morning!—­ I went over
the fields too—­(speaking in a tone of great
ill-usage,) which made it so much the worse.
And then not to find him at home! I assure you
I am not at all pleased. And no apology left,
no message for me. The housekeeper declared
she knew nothing of my being expected.—­
Very extraordinary!—­And nobody knew at all
which way he was gone. Perhaps to Hartfield,
perhaps to the Abbey Mill, perhaps into his woods.—­
Miss Woodhouse, this is not like our friend Knightley!—­Can
you explain it?”